Archive for May, 2014

The weekend is here and again the weather is cooperating. Another very pleasant weekend is in store for Hampton Roads. Temperatures will be below normal as a north to northeast flow continues. However, we’ll have lots of sunshine and comfortable humidity levels. Temperatures will be on the increase next week as the high pressure takes up residence off the East Coast. The clockwise flow around the high pressure system will produce a southwesterly flow which will transport warmer and more humid air into the region. (See my Weather Fact regarding the Bermuda High). A weak cold front is expected to move into the area later next week, which should increase the chance of showers and thunderstorms towards the end of the week. At this point, they are expected to be the diurnal variety, which means that most of the activity should occur during the afternoon and evenings… Sunday, June 1st marks the start of the North Atlantic Hurricane Season. On average, tropical cyclone activity starts out slowly and the frequency ramps up in August. However, every so many years, a significant tropical cyclone does impact the East Coast during the month of June. As I stated in a previous post, it is time to ensure that you have a plan should a storm threaten our region. It’s also time to make sure that you have all of the supplies needed to ride out a storm. That’s it for now. Have a great weekend!

It appears that we have one more warm and humid day to contend with today (Wednesday). A backdoor cold front moving slowly southward is expected to move through Hampton Roads tonight turning our winds from the northeast. This will make for a much cooler day on Thursday. High temperatures on Thursday aren’t expected to get much above 70 degrees. Some computer models keep us in the 60’s all day. As the front approaches, it is expected to trigger some showers and thunderstorms. However, the amount of coverage is very uncertain at this time. There is a lot of humidity around ahead of the front, but I don’t think that there will be any significant shortwaves or upper-atmospheric energy to trigger widespread intense storms. My neighborhood hasn’t received that much rainfall of late, so I am hoping for a nice soaking. Behind the cold front, clouds are expected to dominate the sky and there could be additional showers/sprinkles in spots. Areas inland should see the best chance of rain on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. Rain chances will decrease so by the weekend, it appears that we will see pleasant weather… I wanted to mention that the Atlantic Hurricane season begins on Sunday, June 1st. Although the forecast from the National Hurricane Center is for a slightly below normal number of storms this season, you have to keep in mind that only one storm can make all the difference. The year 1992 was a below normal season, but tell that to the people in South Florida. That was the year Hurricane Andrew slammed into that region causing massive devastation. And, you have to also keep in mind that these forecasts can be wrong. In the upcoming weeks, I will have more on hurricanes. Now is the time to ensure that you have stocked up on everything that you would need should a storm threaten our region. Also, you should have a plan in place should you have to evacuate. On average, the peak of the Atlantic Hurricane Season is September 10th, so typically, June is not very active. That’s it for now. Have a great day!

The timing couldn’t be better. High pressure moving into the region from the west is expected to bring us great weather this holiday weekend. Temperatures on Saturday should be a bit below normal, but it is shaping up to be a very pleasant day with a cool breeze and lots of sunshine. As the area of high pressure moves across our region and then eventually offshore, our winds will swing around from the north to the southwest on Monday. This wind shift will bring warmer air into the region on Memorial Day. On Tuesday, it is expected to be very warm and more humid. An approaching cold front may trigger a thunderstorm late in the day on Tuesday… Please take the time to remember the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country this Memorial Day.

Temperatures the past couple of days were a little on the chilly side, especially during the morning hours. That’s all about to change as warmer air tries to move into our region from the west and southwest. There is a complicating factor that may result in an increase in the chance of showers and thunderstorms beginning late tonight and continuing through Thursday. A northwesterly flow aloft is expected to contain disturbances that may trigger showers and storms every once in a while. In a weather pattern like this, it is nearly impossible for meteorologists to nail down the timing of any rain that develops. I don’t think we are going to see a widespread rain event over the next few days, but there could be isolated areas that do get a decent shower or storm. The highest rain chances that I saw are 30% during this period. Temperatures today (Tuesday) should top out in the upper 70’s and some spots may see the lower 80’s. Wednesday should be warmer, but that will depend on the cloud cover and any potential showers/storms that develop. Rain chances should decrease on Friday and as it looks right now, the Memorial Day weekend looks okay, with just a small chance of a shower or thunderstorm. Note that we are approaching the time of year when you can’t rule out a shower or thunderstorm during the afternoon and evenings on certain days. This is due to the fact that our humidity levels normally increase at this time of year and it doesn’t take that much of a trigger to cause a shower or thunderstorm to develop. By trigger, I am referring to a sea breeze boundary, upper-level disturbance, cold pocket of air aloft, frontal boundary, etc., etc. The heating from the sun is very strong at this time of year, and this sometimes causes the atmosphere to become quite unstable during the afternoons and evenings. The sun heats the land which causes the air at the surface to rise into the cooler air aloft. (Warm air is lighter and less dense than cooler air). This results in condensation, which causes clouds and sometimes precipitation. The process of condensation releases latent heat which makes the air rise even further into the atmosphere. That’s what makes those huge cumulonimbus clouds that we frequently see during the spring and summer. That’s it for now. Have a great day!

Nearly six inches of rain fell in Downtown Norfolk on Friday! Some parts of Hampton Roads had major flooding issues as bands of very heavy rain moved very slowly eastward while the individual showers tracked NNE When showers/storms continue to move over the same areas, meteorologists refer to this as training. Portsmouth also got hit hard and reports of well over five inches of rain were common in that city. My Virginia Beach neighborhood received just under one inch of rain. The Northern portion of Virginia Beach received higher amounts. The only good thing about this weather system is that there was very little lightning and thunder. Power outages were reported, which were most likely caused by the gusty winds along with the heavy rain. The slow moving cold front that brought the heavy rain is now well off the east coast. A dry and cool air mass has overspread the Mid-Atlantic States just in time for the weekend. A weak low pressure system is expected to develop and track well south of Hampton Roads later on Sunday bringing some cloudiness. There is a slight chance of rain but odds are, most of whatever rain that falls should be over North Carolina. At least, that’s the way it looks right now. Once that system moves offshore, high pressure will bring pleasant weather on Monday and Tuesday. Another cold front may bring a shower or storm later in the week. Overall, next week looks to be fairly dry for the most part, and there is expected to be a slow warming trend. That’s it for now. Enjoy the nice, cool temperatures since it won’t be long when we will be dealing with heat and humidity on a regular basis.